Jethro Tull’s first five studio albums introduced a band that would radically redefine the boundaries of Rock, blending Blues, Folk, Classical, and Hard Rock into a singular progressive vision. Rhino High Fidelity captures the meteoric rise and creative peak of that era in a new audiophile vinyl boxed set, Jethro Tull 1968-1972. It arrives today, along with a reel-to-reel edition of the band’s biggest album, “Aqualung.”
Purchase here: https://www.rhino.com/
The Jethro Tull 1968-1972 (Rhino High Fidelity) boxed set includes “This Was,” “Stand Up,” “Benefit,” “Aqualung,” and “Thick as a Brick,” all cut AAA from the U.K. analog master tapes by Kevin Gray and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Optimal in Germany. The set is housed in a leatherette slipcase. Each album comes in a glossy gatefold jacket with new liner notes featuring commentary from Ian Anderson. The set is limited to 3,000 individually numbered copies and available exclusively at Rhino.com and select Warner Music Group stores internationally.
“Aqualung” (Rhino High Fidelity R2R) was duplicated in real time from a 1:1 copy of the original U.K. analog master tape. The result is a master-quality listening experience that captures the full dynamics of the recording. The 15 i.p.s. half-track 1/4” tape is produced to the IEC equalization standard on premium RTM LPR90 tape stock and stored on a 10.5” metal reel. The Reel-to-Reel edition is limited to 350 copies worldwide and available exclusively at Rhino.com.
In just five years, Jethro Tull evolved from a club-circuit British Blues band into a global stadium headliner, completely reshaping their musical identity with every record. Led by visionary frontman, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Ian Anderson, the journey began with the Jazz-tinged Blues of 1968’s “This Was.” The arrival of guitarist Martin Barre for 1969’s “Stand Up” prompted a shift toward intricate English Folk melodies and Classical structures—a formula that sent the album straight to #1 in the U.K. By 1970’s “Benefit,” Anderson expanded the band’s sonic textures further with keyboardist John Evan, leaning into darker, heavier Rock arrangements that laid the groundwork for their mainstream breakthrough.
That success came in March 1971 with “Aqualung,” a multi-platinum milestone featuring new bassist Jeffrey Hammond. Driven by the enduring Rock radio staples “Locomotive Breath” and the title-track, the album balanced blistering Hard Rock with delicate acoustic poetry, solidifying the band as international stars. When critics labeled “Aqualung” a concept album, Anderson subverted the entire genre with its follow-up, 1972’s “Thick as a Brick.” Introducing Barriemore Barlow on drums, the single, continuous 43-minute epic combined Symphonic ambition with satirical wit, earning Jethro Tull their very first #1 album in the U.S. It capped an extraordinary five-year run, launching a legendary, Grammy® Award-winning career that still thrives today through more than five decades of global touring, continuous recording, and over 60 million albums sold.
LP One: This Was
Side One
01. My Sunday Feeling
02. Some Day The Sun Won’t Shine
03. Beggar’s Farm
04. Move On Alone
05. Serenade To A Cuckoo
Side Two
01. Dharma For One
02. It’s Breaking Me Up
03. Cat’s Squirrel
04. A Song For Jeffrey
05. Round
LP Two: Stand Up
Side One
01. A New Day Yesterday
02. Jeffrey Goes To Leicester Square
03. Bourée
04. Back To The Family
05. Look Into The Sun
Side Two
01. Nothing Is Easy
02. Fat Man
03. We Used To Know
04. Reasons For Waiting
05. For A Thousand Mothers
LP Three: Benefit
Side One
01. With You There To Help Me
02. Nothing To Say
03. Alive And Well And Living In
04. Son
05. For Michael Collins, Jeffrey And Me
Side Two
01. To Cry You A Song
02. A Time For Everything?
03. Inside
04. Play In Time
05. Sossity; You’re A Woman
LP Four: Aqualung
Side One
01. Aqualung
02. Cross-Eyed Mary
03. Cheap Day Return
04. Mother Goose
05. Wond’ring Aloud
06. Up To Me
Side Two
01. My God
02. Hymn 43
03. Slipstream
04. Locomotive Breath
05. Wind-Up
LP Five: Thick as a Brick
Side One
01. Thick As A Brick
i. Really Don’t Mind/See There A Son Is Born
ii. The Poet And The Painter
iii. What Do You Do When The Old Man’s Gone?/From The Upper Class
iv. You Curl Your Toes In Fun/Childhood Heroes/Stabs Instrumental
Side Two
1. Thick As A Brick
i. See There A Man Is Born/Clear White Circles
ii. Legends And Believe In The Day
iii. Tales Of Your Life
iv. Childhood Heroes Reprise
Aqualung
R2R Track Listing
01. Aqualung
02. Cross-Eyed Mary
03. Cheap Day Return
04. Mother Goose
05. Wond’ring Aloud
06. Up To Me
07. My God
08. Hymn 43
09. Slipstream
10. Locomotive Breath
11. Wind-Up